


Just Believe

by imjustaworm



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:41:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21951625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imjustaworm/pseuds/imjustaworm
Summary: Kyungsoo's time had come.Prompt #78: when you’re 12, you have to pass the test. if you hear the song and sing along, you’ll have to go in the “static”. kai wishes he could meet d.o. again, but he’s long gone now.
Relationships: Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Kim Jongin | Kai
Comments: 5
Kudos: 16
Collections: Kaisoo OLAO Chapter Two





	Just Believe

The Korean Selection Facility, but more commonly known as "The Facility," is a natural selection based system with the means of controlling the population. They summon you a few months after you turn twelve. If you sing the song, you turn into static. You are weak.

  
  
  
  
  


It was a nice day, a pretty Tuesday, when Jongin thought he'd go to the park. As he came up on the swings though, he heard sniffling and crying. Confused he got closer, only for a boy, who looked about his age, to be doing that. Jongin didn’t know why, but he felt compelled to comfort this crying kid. 

"Hello...umm...why are you crying?"

Kyungsoo sniffled and pointed his red nose up at the stranger, confused as to why he'd bothered him. He shook his head in hopes that it would prompt the stranger to let him be.

But, no.

"Well, there must be a reason. You can tell me! I'm a good listener." Jongin smiled at the boy in front of him. He rocked back and forth on his feet before planting himself on the swing next to Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo sighed. He supposed it wouldn't hurt telling him, but it made him uneasy to say it out loud. "The Facility called me in for Friday…"

Jongin was confused. Not on what ‘The Facility’ was, but why he would be so sad about that. He understood the outcomes, but…

_ He still has time and he's sitting here crying about it. _

"Well, stop wasting time moping and have some fun. It's only Tuesday, so you have loads of time! And you'll have even more fun after you pass. So don't be sad." 

"But it's so scary. I heard there's a big, red monster that stares at you so hard you turn into static!"

Jongin giggled, "That sounds like something a parent would say to make you be good."

Kyungsoo turned his focus to his feet. The ladies of the orphanage  _ did _ tell him that.

"I guess so…but what if I sing the song?" Kyungsoo raised his head and tried to play it off, but Jongin had a feeling an older person told him that lie.

Jongin looked at him before kicking his legs back and forth. Kyungsoo seeing Jongin go back and forth like that—so fast and so high—made him think of the pendulum of an old clock, that old clock telling him he had only four days left. It made him sick.

He lowered his head down and hardened his grip on the rusting chains of the swing, trying not to throw up and cry. "I'm really gonna die."

Even though Jongin had swung so high, he still heard it. He abruptly stopped and turned to Kyungsoo. He didn't think he should continue the conversation of anything dealing with The Facility. Jongin huffed out a breath, racking his brain for anything  _ else _ to talk about.

_ Oh! _

"What's your name?"

"Mine?" Kyunsoo pointed his fat pointer to himself.

Jongin rolled his eyes, "Who else, dummy?"

"O-oh...My name is Kyungsoo."

"My name is Jongin." He gave Kyungsoo a bright smile upon saying his own name. Kyungsoo blushed and smiled back.

“Well since I apparently have  _ so much time _ left, what should I do? I don’t know many places around here.”

“Have you ever been to the city?” Jongin’s eyes sparkled as he asked. He knew so many places because his mom tried to take him everywhere.

“No. I only ever go to the park or stay home.”

“Well, let’s go to the zoo! And then tomorrow, we could go to Lotte World– we need to get on a bus for that– but we should still go! And then–"

“Jongin.” 

“On Thursday–” Jongin kept going.

“Jongin!” Kyungsoo finally got the boy’s attention. As much as he wanted to do all of these things with Jongin, it all sounded like too much money. The orphanage ladies only gave him so much. Kyungsoo’s shoulders slumped and he looked at the ground.

“This all sounds very nice, but I don’t have that much money. And Lotte World is expensive.”

Jongin saw his new friend’s dilemma. He could pay for at least most of it if he asked his mom hard enough.

“Hey, I can pay! Don’t worry about it. There was a dance competition at school and I won free tickets to lotte world. You just have to pay for the bus there, okay? We’ll have fun!”

Kyungsoo contemplated on his offer. He really wanted to go, but he doesn’t want to feel like he’s using Jongin.

“Are you sure all of this is okay? It’s a lot of money…” He shifted uncomfortably in the swing.

“I’m sure. I just have to ask my mom. And you have to ask yours, too!”

“I– yeah. I do.”  _ I don’t have a mom. _

It's not that Kyungsoo didn't want to tell him that he had no parents, he was just too embarrassed. All the kids around him, left and right, were getting adopted, yet he wasn't.  _ What he doesn't know won't hurt him, _ Kyungsoo thought.

Jongin hopped out of the swing and stuck his hand out for Kyungsoo to grab. “We can ask them  _ after _ the zoo, though.” Kyungsoo looked up at him in confusion before he saw the mischievous glint in Jongin’s eyes. He grabbed the hand that offered days full of fun, and rose from the swing.

Kyungsoo smiled so big and Jongin thought it was so cute. "Alright then," Kyungsoo said, "let's go!"

  
  
  


————

Kyungsoo had never been to the zoo and he was so surprised that it was just a twenty minute walk from the park. If he would have known the proximity, he would have begged the orphanage ladies for a little more money so he could go. The park and the orphanage were only five minutes away from each other, what could twenty more minutes do to an excited child?

The pair arrived at the entrance of the zoo, Jongin held his hand out and motioned to Kyungsoo to come closer to him.

"When I get the tickets, I want them to see that we're together so they won't bother you about not paying. They do that here."

Kyungsoo only nodded and got closer. 

Jongin paid for both of their tickets and they ran inside, ready to 'ooo' and 'ahh' at the animals. He had been there many times before but he wanted to be extra excited for Kyungoo's sake. 

Kyungsoo ran ahead of them to look at the map and figure what species they should look at first. Jongin laughed.

"Why not just walk around the whole thing? Like in one big loop? We'll get tired if we go back and forth." 

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

It started off with the birds, birds that Kyungsoo had only seen in books and TV. He felt that Disney really downplayed how pretty they were in The Jungle Book. Jongin told him it was a very old animation. 

Next were the big cats; tigers, lions, bobcats, and lynxes. Kyungsoo was fascinated with all of it. He prayed for days like these, days where he would he adopted and go to places like these with his new family. A family that loved him. But he's dying in a few days so that would never happen. 

Kyungsoo's eyes teared up at the sight of a lion cub frolicking around and then finally laying down with its parents. He full on cried at that point which startled Jongin. They'd only been in there for thirty minutes and Kyungsoo was crying again.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Jongin wrapped his arms around him.

"I'm going to die, Jongin." Kyungsoo cried in Jongin's shoulder, earning concerned and confused looks from passersby.

"Kyungsoo! You aren't going to die. You have to believe you won't."

"Well, what if I don't?"

Jongin got quiet. They both knew the answer to that.

It was quiet for a minute and soon got very awkward. They were in the middle of a public exhibit. Jongin let go of him and the snotty boy in front of him kept his head down.

"Let's go to the bathroom and get you cleaned up, yeah? And then we could walk back to the park." Kyungsoo weakly nodded. 

Jongin tried to get them out of the zoo as quick as possible so that Kyungsoo wouldn't face any more embarrassment. They left quickly and headed back to their meeting place. On the way there Jongin spotted ice cream.

"Hey, Kyungsoo. I know what would cheer you up." 

Kyungsoo looks up from the green leaves he was stumping on. They were green with life.

"What is it?"

"Ice cream! Look over there," Jongin pointed. "It's an ice cream truck." The boys looked in the direction of Jongin's finger. Kyungsoo smiled and hummed. He does want ice cream before he has to go back home.

They ran to the truck and Kyungsoo paid for both their treats. Jongin got chocolate and Kyungsoo got vanilla which made Jongin fake gag at the choice.

"I could say the same about chocolate, Jongin. It tastes like cold garbage!"

"And how would  _ you _ know what cold garbage tastes like, hmm?"

"I- you still have bad taste and I'll leave it at that."

The two boys continued their laughter even after all the ice cream and its sticky cone had been eaten. Jongin look up at the sky and noticed how fast it went from a vivid blue to a soft peach color. He sighed. Kyungsoo must have noticed the sky as well for he let out a whine.

It was time for the both of them to go home.

Since their houses were closer to the opposite ends of the park, they decided to say their goodbyes where they were. It was awkward at first as neither of them wanted to leave. Besides being hysterical for a good portion, Kyungsoo thought it was a pretty good day.

Jongin laughed and hugged Kyungsoo. “We are acting like we won’t see each other tomorrow.” Kyungsoo smiled as he remembered the whole week of activities Jongin had planned so quickly. 

“You’re right. Well, see you tomorrow!” They both began their trek across the park before Jongin realized they needed a meeting time. By then the boys were pretty far apart.

“Wait, Kyungsoo! What time do we meet up?”

Kyungsoo cupped his hands around his mouth to respond, “I don’t know! What about 1pm?”

“Sounds good!” Jongin gave him a thumbs up. “And don’t forget to ask your mom!”

Kyungsoo’s smile faded a bit before he nodded and ran back home. Yes he was twelve, but not having parents by that age really meant something was wrong. Were they expecting him to fail this test? Kyungsoo didn’t look back at Jongin as he picked up his pace. Regardless, he  _ did  _ going to ask the orphanage ladies if he could have extra money to hang out with a friend.

Jongin did the same with his mother. He was very reluctant to tell her why he needed it so badly before it spilled out of him. His mother praised him for being such a sweet boy but wonder why he would do all of this for a person he’d just met. 

“What if he was lying, Jongin?” His mother folded her arms as she watched him drink his soda.

“He wasn’t! You should have seen the way he acted at the zoo. It was so cute, but so sad. He started crying at the family of lions. I think he’s sad about leaving his family, mom. Why would he lie about the possibility of dying?” He slid back in the chair he sat in, head resting on the back of the chair. He looked up at the ceiling and got quiet. His mother came closer to him and brushed the hair that didn’t fall out of his face from gravity.

“He doesn’t have any friends from the look of it. And I don’t have any either.” Jongin looked pointedly in his mother’s eyes, “What’s so wrong with being nice to him?” She smiled and shook her head. 

“Of course nothing is wrong. But you need to be more cautious from now on.” 

“Okay.”

  
  


————

The next day, they met on time at the park as promised. Their fist were full of the extra money given to them.

"I was surprised they said yes when I asked." Kyungsoo said, stuffing the money back into his pocket.

"Me too!" Jongin followed the action. "The bus stop is on the corner not far from here. We should get going."

"Wait when will the bus come to pick us up? We don't have a schedule."

Jongin reached into his back pocket to reveal the schedule of the buses in that area. He smirked as Kyungsoo ran over to him. 

"You didn't think I'd come prepared? Neither of us have phones so I printed this out at home. You picked a good time to meet up because the bus arrives at 1:15." Jongin showed Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo squinted at the fine print, his face getting closer.

"I hope I don't need glasses…" Kyungsoo pouted.

"If you got them, you'd be super cute." Jongin let it slip. They were both pretty quiet after that, stunned. It wasn't really a confession but they both blushed nonetheless. 

"W-well, it's 1:07. We have to go now." Jongin led the way with a still red-faced Kyungsoo behind him.

_ I can't believe I said that. It wasn't even that deep but why are my hands sweating,  _ Jongin's mind raced.

_ I can't believe he thinks I'm cute even without glasses! _ Kyungsoo's mind raced even faster.

They had sped walked to the bus stop in order to make it. As they came up on the stop, the bus arrived. The two boys smiled at each other, relieved, and paid the fare as they got on. It wasn't too much money to Kyungsoo's surprise. Then again, Kyungsoo had never been on public transportation before.

The bus ride there was fairly quiet. Not a peep from any person sitting or standing. Jongin and Kyungsoo played little hand games as silent as possible, trying not to burst out in giggles when one of them lost a game.

The bus stop closest to Lotte World was coming up and Jongin notified Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo's nerves were erratic as adrenaline rushed through him. He'd only ever seen rides and rollercoasters through the commercials for Lotte World and other places like Universal Studios Japan. He would like to go there as well. Jongin and Kyungsoo stood up from their seats as the bus started slowing down; almost tripping over feet as they ran off the bus when it came to a complete stop.

"Look Kyungsoo," Jongin pointed up, "You can see the rides from here!" Kyungsoo squinted as he made the shapes of the rides. He smiled. Jongin grabbed his hand as they ran towards the entrance which made Kyungsoo hit his arm because although it was not far in running distance, Kyungsoo was not a sports person.

"You're lucky I don't have asthma!" 

"But you don't!" Jongin laughed at Kyungsoo's frustration as he turned in their tickets. "What rides did you want to get on first?"

"Let's go on the basket one!"

Jongin pouted, "No, that’s lame. Let's go on the swinging-circle-thing!" They were surrounded by all awesome-and-not-completely-boring attractions and Kyungsoo just  _ had _ to pick that one.

"Jongin, that's too scary! I'm afraid of heights…"

"How about this, if we get on that one, you can pick out the rest!"

Kyungsoo folded his arms in thought. He had the biggest phobia of heights but when was he going to have this opportunity again, especially after  _ Friday _ ? Kyungsoo continued weighing out his options as Jongin stood there impatiently.

"Fine. We can go on that big, tall, dangerous-looking ride." 

Jongin jumped up and down in glee and took off running, making Kyungsoo have to run once again.

Kyungsoo being nervous was an understatement. He was wrecked. While Jongin kept talking about how fun the ride is, Kyungsoo kept having to wipe his hands on his shorts as they stood in line. Jongin stopped talking and looked at Kyungsoo in worry when he noticed the boy wasn't responding to anything he was saying.

"The ride is really fun, I promise." Jongin rested a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Kyungsoo didn't look too convinced though. He would rather die from the static than die from an accident.

"You know, before I got on this ride, I was pretty scared of heights, too."

Kyungsoo looked at him in disbelief. "Really?" 

"Yeah. And then I got on this ride and all of that went away! I love rollercoasters now." Jongin made sure to smile real big at him so at least Kyungsoo can believe it. It wasn't necessarily the truth but it also wasn't a lie. It was another rollercoaster Jongin got on that made him not fear heights.

Kyungsoo sighed, "If you say so…" 

The ride was exhilarating to say the least. Kyungsoo thought he was going to die within the first few seconds of it starting. The moment the wind started to hit his face he realized he had been holding his breath the whole time. It felt good to breathe in as much as he could while also screaming out his lungs.  _ Is this living?  _ He thought,  _ because I want to live forever _ . Jongin's smile was blinding as he tightly held on to the contraption keeping him in his seat and not flying off. They caught each other's eyes and laughed. Jongin yelled "I told you so" and Kyungsoo belted back "whatever." Kyungsoo did not want to admit it, but his friend was right. He was no longer afraid of heights anymore. If anything, it made him want to do more and see more.

The ride was over before the both of them knew it. Kyungsoo reluctantly got off the ride much to Jongin's amusement.

"I thought you were afraid of heights."

"I was...until now." Kyungsoo hugged Jongin. He would have never gotten on that ride if it weren't for Jongin. He was glad to have experienced that. But for Jongin, it started to feel like they were crossing things off of Kyungsoo's bucket list. For the past two days, it had been a bunch of Kyungsoo's 'first-times.' He ignored that feeling though because Kyungsoo was genuinely having a good time and he wasn't going to bring him down for it.

"Let's go get on other rides! I want candy first. Do you want some?"

Kyungsoo waved his hand. "No, I'm good. I don't want to eat too much and get sick."

Jongin shrugged. "You won't, but suit yourself."

  
  
  


An hour later, after they'd been on every ride possible, Kyungsoo was beat. All that running around inside and outside of the buildings, Kyungsoo was every bit of the word exhausted and wanted to sit down more than anything. He didn’t know where Jongin got all of his energy from, anyway. 

Jongin looked around and thought for a bit. They had been everywhere inside and got on most of the big rides, well, at least the ones where they both met the height requirement. Kyungsoo was tiny and it was so cute to Jongin. His eyes scanned the attractions one more time before they caught a pirate ship. He grinned.

"Kyungsoo?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you wanna be Peter Pan and I be Captain Hook?"

Kyungsoo frowned before bursting into a laughing fit. "What are you on about, Jongin?"

"Look over there. It's a pirate ship! You get to sit down and it swings back and forth really high and–"

"Jongin, you said I could out the rest of them."

"Yeah I know, but that's one of the best rides. You'll be missing out on a lot if you don't ride it."

"Ugh, fine. Let's go!"

"To be honest, I don't think you should get on this ride after all that candy you ate."

"I'll be fine, I've done it before."

"Well that was before."

"You're ruining the fun."

Kyungsoo honestly wanted to see him get sick just to prove his point, so he didn't say anything to rebut. 

The first swing of the pendulum-like ride gave Kyungsoo that breath he was looking for again. It reminded him of the swings of the park.

The downward swing made the blood rush from Jongin's face. This was bad. He was going to throw up before the ride was even over.

"Kyungsoo…" Jongin lightly patted his friend's arm.

"You feel sick, don't you? Well, you're gonna have to wait it out." Jongin rolled his eyes and laid his head on Kyungsoo's lap. It surprisingly helped him feel a lot better, especially when Kyungsoo ran his fingers through his hair. His breathing was slow as he tried to control it and focus on other things. He hoped Kyungsoo really was having a good time and not faking it for Jongin's sake.

The ship was on it's last swing when Kyungsoo leant down to Jongin's ear and whispered, "Thank you for today, and for this week in general." Jongin turned his head and smiled.

They got off the ride quickly as Jongin was turning pale. Kyungsoo bought him a bottle of water to hold him off until they got back to the park. Kyungsoo even walked him home. Jongin told him he didn't have to and started walking away. He tripped on air and stumbled around, giving Kyungsoo more than enough he needed to walk him home. Jongin's mother was surprised to see the boys looking sweaty and disheveled on her doorstep. He assumed the one holding her son up must be the mysterious Kyungsoo. She quickly grabbed Jongin and invited Kyungsoo inside. Kyungsoo looked apprehensively before stepping into her home.

"Hi, you must be Kyungsoo. You can sit down at the counter if you'd like. What happened to Jongin?" Jongin's mother busied around the house looking for cups to get water and laying Jongin down on the couch in the living room.

"I- um he ate too much candy and then we got on the pirate ship ride. I told him not to…" Kyungsoo slowly sat down.

"And he was stubborn. Oh Jongin…" She grabbed the cup full of water and stomach rushed to her hard-headed son. 

Kyungsoo this time to himself to look around the kitchen and other small bits of the house that he could see from where he sat. He thought it was a pretty house. The pictures on the walls were only Jongin and his mom.  _ Interesting, _ Kyungsoo thought.

"Kyungsoo, sweetie." Jongin's mom seemingly came out of nowhere, making Kyungsoo jump in his seat a little.

"Oh sorry for scary you! Would you like some dinner? It's almost done."

"Ah no thank you, ma'am. I actually need to start getting home. It's kind of late."

Jongin's mother  _ pouted. _ Now Kyungsoo saw where he got it from. "Aw, well, do you want me to drive you home? It's not really safe out there for a child...or anyone really."

Kyungsoo looked at her with wide eyes, "You would do that."

"You are Jongin's friend, of course I would." And she also wanted to see where he lived. There were no red flag for this little boy, but better safe than sorry.

They got into the car and began pulling out of the driveway. "Where do you live, sweetie?"

"Um, I live at the orphanage not far from here." Played with his fingers.

"Oh? The one a little bit past the park?"

"Yes. Thank you for driving me there."

"No problem, sweetie. Also, Jongin looks too sick to hang out with you tomorrow. You should also rest, you look tired from today."

Kyungsoo hummed in agreement and told her Jongin had been making him run all day. She laughed and said, "Yeah, he does that." A mother's fondness...for a split second Kyungsoo was jealous.

Jongin's mom pulled up outside the place and Kyungsoo got out of the car. They smiled and waved at each other as Kyungsoo disappeared behind the doors of the orphanage.

————

"I'm so glad I could see you before you left!" Jongin came running up behind Kyungsoo who was on the swings. He sat in the swing next to him.

"Yeah, your mom told me I needed to rest and you were too sick looking to hang out yesterday." Kyungsoo casually swung his legs. "I have to go in a little bit though. Walk with me?"

"Of course!

Kyungsoo thought it was funny that The Facility was closer to him than the zoo was. It was almost like it was taunting him. Jongin told him to believe that he would make it out, but he doesn't think things will work out like that.

"Where are your parents?" Jongin thought it was weird that his parents didn’t accompany him to his assessment, and he had just realized he never brought them up in conversation.

"Don't have any. I'm an orphan. The orphanage is down the street from the park, so I just walk.

"You didn't tell me that."

"Well, you didn't ask."

"Fair enough."

It got quiet for a few minutes before the pair began talking about other miscellaneous things. Anything that came to their minds while they strolled, from how ugly that car was to random facts about bugs and aliens, laughing along the way.

By the time they reached the facility, the sun was lower in the sky and the light blue color from earlier got darker and seemed endless. The boys slowed their gait and held hands. They both knew of the two possibilities; one was banked on the positive while the other, the negative.

They continued their walk to the benches that lined the pathway to the front doors of the building and sat down.

Kyungsoo looked around, knowing his assessment is very soon.

"Tick tock…"

"You don't have to say it. You make it sound like you're dying."

Kyungsoo looked sad for a moment, but lightened up, "Thanks for coming with me."

He was so happy that someone, who he liked, came with him. He's not as tense as before, not as fearful.

"Yeah," Jongin smiled back at him. They hugged and Jongin felt as though that it would be the last time they did, so he squeezed him tighter.

Kyungsoo chuckled and tightened the hug as well. He let go first.

"I have to go, Jongin."

"Do you really have to?"

"Yeah. I'll see you in a few minutes though! It doesn't take long from what I heard. Don't be sad.”

"You heard a lot of wrong things, too."

"Just wait. Please? I'll come back to you..."

Jongin's face tinted a pretty pink as he tried to hide his smile. "Like a boomerang."

"Yeah."

With one final hug, Kyungsoo walked away from his friend, turning his head to wave at him as he did. He entered the building with a reassuring smile before disappearing.

_ He'll be back in no time. _

When Kyungsoo opened up the glass doors, he was met with icy air. He'd been outside all day, so it felt like heaven to him.

The floors were white and the walls were silver. Thin red lines ran up from the floor and when across the ceiling. It reminded him of healthy lifelines;  _ alive _ . As he continued walking, he saw parents leaving happy with their child or crying without them.

_ I don't have that problem,  _ Kyungsoo thought.

The sound of the phone from the receptionist desk caught his attention and he quickly walked that way. The desk was silver like the walls but the lines were black;  _ dead. _

"Can I help you, sweetie?" 

Kyungsoo would have jumped out of his skin if he flinched harder than he did. "U-um, yeah. I'm here for my a-assessment. My name is Doh Kyungsoo."

"Okay! I'll let them know, but for now you can go to that waiting room down the hall to the left where you'll be called."

"Okay. Thank you." Kyungsoo offered her a small smile, never will he forget his manners. He turned and walked away, going to the assigned room. The couches were black, red, and gray. Comic books and coloring books were stacked on the tables but none of the other kids were touching them.

Kyungsoo decided to read one of them. He picked one up about nine superheroes fighting off a one, red-eyed robot. Not being particularly picky, he began reading.

By the time he was halfway through it, he was the only kid left in the room.

_ Jongin must be worried sick. I've been here too long. _

"Doh Kyungsoo." The assistant called for him, making him jump.

"You're assessment is ready. Please follow me." There was no warmth to her face as she said it. Kyungsoo was worried. He followed her quick pace down the longest hallway Kyungsoo had ever been on. It's like she wanted to quickly get it over with as if she was the one in his position. They took a sharp left into an empty room with a single red chair.

"Please sit here. The Tester will be here shortly."

And Kyungsoo did just that. His eyes roamed the four empty walls. The bright lights hurt him if he tried to look up at the ceiling.

He hated it.

"Do Kyungsoo?" A loud voice coming from hidden speakers throughout the room flooded his ears.

"Yes?"

"You're assessment starts now. Try your best not to sing."

And that was all. Several songs started playing and Kyungsoo was unfazed by them since he didn't know them. One song in particular, Kyungsoo knew by heart. The Tester noticed his resistance to sing the song, so he turned it up louder and made the singer's voice more prominent.

Kyungsoo sang.

Kyungsoo sang.

_ Kyungsoo sang. _

He failed the test. 

Kyungsoo quickly covered his mouth but by then it was too late. As soon as he ran to the door to escape, two guards came in to strap him down to the chair. Kyungsoo trashed as hard as he could but it was fruitless. 

"We are sorry, but you have failed."

The guards soon left the room and Kyungsoo was a crying, snotty, mess. He wanted to call out to Jongin so bad. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his left become hazy. He thought his eyes were playing tricks on him as he was crying, but no. 

It started.

The static...It didn't hurt like Kyungsoo thought it would. It just felt like his body was getting lighter, but that didn't stop him from crying though. One by one, on each hand, he saw his fingers disappear. He spread his legs as best as he could to see his feet and they were already gone, the static making its way past his ankle.

At that point Kyungsoo wished he would have believed, but he didn't and the static had reached his torso and his shoulders. He didn't have any regrets besides not being adopted but that was out of his control. He wanted to hang out with Jongin just a little bit longer. His tears, too, turned into the fatal static as it reach his eyes.

The room was once again empty and he was no longer.

  
  


————

  
  


Jongin waited for his new best friend to come walking through those doors, patience running thin. He kicked his legs back and forth in annoyance.

"What's taking him so long...he said it would only be a few minutes..."

As he said that, a man and woman walked out of the building seemingly distraught. The woman cried terribly loud, gaining the attention of the passersby. 

"What are we going to do? My only son…"

The pair walked off towards a nearby seating area, most likely set up for parents and loved ones to mourn. Jongin knew he wouldn't have to be at that table, crying his eyes out over a lost friend but...

_ What if he's already… _

A deep frown embedded itself on Jongin's soft features. He looked back and forth between the parents and the building's front doors, contemplating on whether or not he should go in.

_ What would I do if I got far enough in there? I may be tall, but I don't look 12. _

He shook his head.

_ That's dumb. _

It wasn't until the sun was a few minutes away from setting, and the light of the buildings shutting off, did Jongin decide to get up and walk back home.

He wondered if it was when he went to get some water or use bathroom did Kyungsoo leave the building...alive.

Jongin was worried. More worried than when he dropped his favorite action figure and thought it broke. He looked at every single boy's face, that might be his age, as he walked. The streetlights came on one by one as he continued to fret.

When Jongin made it to his front porch, his mother sat there on the steps, a cold glass of tea next to her. She was waiting on the both of them. He dragged his feet closer to her.

"Where is Kyungsoo?"

Jongin didn't answer. Instead, he walked up to his mother and hugged her as he cried. She held him tightly and shushed him as if he were a baby again. He knew that him and Kyungsoo had only been friends for a few days, but he was the only friend he had all year.

He got bullied in school for doing ballet. Although it did not stop him from dancing, it stopped him from making any friends. Jongin continued doing ballet, though. It made him happy. Kyungsoo was his other happiness—one he wouldn't get picked on for.

He lugged his feet to his room, eyes swelling the more he cried and rubbed at them with his knuckles. The lamp by his bed was left on as he fell on his bed and threw the comforter and sheets over his head. 

That night he dreamt of playing in the park, alone this time.  _ He didn't believe. _

Next April came, meaning it was Jongin's turn to take the test. His mom came with him though, no friends. He passed quickly, not even remembering the songs that were played. He didn't even know them. They celebrated with vanilla ice cream and made sure to get on all of the rides at Lotte World.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> To my good judy aka the prompter LMAO


End file.
